Automobile fire-engine.



H. M. GABEL. AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINE.

APPLICATION rmm we. 17, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Henry 772. Gabe Z.

Inventor 3232. Attorney Witnesses:- 144 8114M.

H. M. GA BBL. AUTOMOBILE FILE ENGINE. AIPLIOATION FILED 16.17, 1912. v v 1,047, 1 97', I Patented Dec; 17, 1912.

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Henry 772 6a M2. Witnesses: Inventor 55w; m] 4 a 90M (A). 3,

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Attorney H. M. GABEL. AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1912.

I I I f Inventor r Attorney- Patented Dec. 17,1912.

HI AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINE. nrmouxon' 1-11.21) we. 11, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

flan/"y 77?. Ga Z6 2.

Witnesses:

H. M. GABEL. AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINE. APP IOQION FILED AUG.1' 7, 1912.

7, 7- Patented Dec; 17,1912. I

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, Henry 77?. GcweZ.

Witnesses: 1 Inventor ldatorney 1 casing of the reducing HENRY M. GABEL, or CINCINNATI, 01110.

AUTOMOBILE FIRE-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters iatent. Application filed-August 17, 1912.,

Patented Dec.17 1912. Serial No. 715,556. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. GABEL, av citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have in- 5'vented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Fire-Engines, of which the following is. a specification.

The'design and construction of automobile fire engines in cases permitting of the tures has resulted in a number of admirable and efiicient. organizations. But there is at present in use a large number of horsedrawn fire engines of a type comprising an upright boiler straddled by a pair of framegirders' firmly secured to the boiler and supported by the four wheels of the engine, the forward portions of the girders supporting the pump anddrivers seat, etc., the axle for the front wheels of the engine being swiveled to the front portion of the frame formed by the girders. There are so many engines of this type in successful use and their performance is so emine'ntly satisfac-- tory that long pause is "tobe given to the thought of abandoning these existing structures in favor of entirely new structures ofautomobile type. I

My present invention has for its object the -0 retention, of these admirable old fire engines and the addition to them of automobile features without seriously dismantling the present structures.

My invention will be readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of'the rear portion of a fire engine of thetype above referred to but .provided with automobile additions exemplifying myinvention. Fig. '2 a front elevation of the machine, the frame-girders appearing in vertical section inthe 'planeof line a of Fig. 1-: Fig. 3 a rear elevation of the engine: Fig. 4 a side elevation of the gas engine, the reducing I gear and clutch appearing: in Vertical longitudinal section in the plane of line b of Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6: Fig, front elevation of the worm gear and clutch, the transmission shaft appearing in transverse section in the plane of line a of Figs. 1 and 4;: Fig. 6 a rear elevation of a portion of the gas engine,the gear being removed: Fig. 7 a side elevation '0'- original planning out of complete 'struc-,-

the speed-changing and reversing gear, portions appearing in vertical transverse section in the plane of line b of Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 and Fig. 8 a transverse section of the speed-changing and reversinggear in the plane of line 03 ofFigsland In the drawings :1, indicates the upright boiler usual in the type of fire engines heretofore referred to: 2, the usual frame-gird: ers straddling the boiler and'firmly secured to its sides and projecting to the rear of the boiler for connection with the rear Wheels and projecting forward of the boiler for connection with the front wheels and for the support of the'pump, the; drivers seat, etc.: 3, the usual half-elliptical springs'supported underthe rear projections of the frame-girders: 4, the rear axle crossing the rear of the boiler and secured to intermediate portions of the springs: 5, the rear wheels mounted'on the rear axle, all of the parts thus far referredto being as usual in steam fire engines of the type referred to: 6, a sprocket-wheel fast upon each of the rear Wheels: 7, a two-piece counter-shaft disposed acrossthe front of the boiler below the frame-girders, and journaled in bearings supported by the girders and boiler, this countershaft being divided lengthwise at the point where the differential gear is secured to it, as indicated in Fig. -8: 8, a sprocketwheel on the'outer end of each division of the countershaft, these sprocket-Wheels being in line with the sprocket-wheels 6 on the rear wheels of the engine: 9, sprocketchains, one at each side of the boiler, engaging the sprocket-wheels 6 and 8 whereby the turning of the divided countershaft may transmit motion to the rear wheels of the engine: 10, a bracket firmly secured to the upper portion of the rearof the boiler, this bracket forming the crank-case and shafthousing for a superposed gasengine: 11, the vertically disposedpylinders of the gas engine vsecured over the crank-case portion of the bracket 10, the cylinders .of the gas engine being arranged side by side in a rank parallel with the rear axle: 12, the crankshaft of the gas engine, the same prO ecting from the gas engine to a point beyond one side of the boiler: 13, a Worm secured to the projecting portion of the crankshaft so that all or a portion of the length of the Worm will be outside the vertical plane of the side of the boiler: 14, a -cir-- oular casing rigidly secured to the girder at that side of the boiler at which is disposed the worm 13, this casing forming an inclosure for the speed-changing and reversing gears, the casing being disposed above and near countershaft 7: 15, a. removable cover-plate forming the outer wall of cas-.

ing 14: 16, a jack-shaft journaled in the axis of the inner wall of casing 14: 17 a differential gear, ofordinary type, mounted on the contiguous ends of the divisions of countershaft 7, one of the final members of this differential gear being secured to each division of the countershaft, the receiving member of this differential gear being a spur gear turning idly relative to the countershaft and carrying the planetary pinions which drive the final members of the differential: 18, a spur gear fast on the inner end of shaft 16 and engaging the receiving- .by bracket 10', as indicated in Fig. 4, the

lower end of the shaft crossing casing 14 diametrically and having journals in the rim of that casing, as indicated in Fig. 7:

v 21, a worm-gear loose on the upper portion of shaft 20 and having its lower portion engaged by worm 13 on the crank-shaft of the gas engine,-this worm-gear having its rear face recessed to form the female member of a friction clutch: 22, a pair of clutch" shoes disposed within the recess of the worm gear and radially movable therein, these shoes forming the male element of the friction clutch: 23, a sleeve adapted to slide on shaft 20 below the worm-gear: 24, toggles connecting this sleeve and the friction shoes in such manner that the downward move-' ment of the sleeve tends to straighten the toggles: 25, a spring acting between the sleeve and a collar on shaft 20-and tending to urge the toggles to their greater degree. of flexure: 26, a lever pivoted to bracket, 10

and connected with sleeve 23 in such manner that the oscillations of the lever may move the sleeve endwise upon shaft 20: 27, a clutch-operating rod'extending from lever 26 forwardly and adapted to have connection with actuating mechanism within reach of the driver at the front portion of the fire engine structure: 28, a hub fast on shaft 20 within the worm-gear andprovided with forwardly facing peripheral ratchet-teeth: 29, a driver mounted to turn loosely on hub -28and provided with radial arms slidingly engaging recesses in the inner-- faces of the clutch-shoes 22: 30,.pawls carried by driver 29 and adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth of hub 28: 31, right and left hand screws threaded into the contiguous faces of the ends of the clutch-shoes and having mounted fast upon them the hubs of the upper arms of toggles 24, the arrangement being obviously such that when, through the medium of rod 27 and lever 26, sleeve 23 is moved downward, against the resistance of spring 25, the toggles will be more or less straightened and the right and left hand screws turned and the clutch-shoes forced out-ward into frictional contact with the bore of the recess of the worm-gear, thus clutching the worm gear to transmission shaft 20, the spring automatically releasing the clutch when pressure upon clutch-rod 27 is removed: 32, a' bevel-gear fast with bevel-gear 19: 33, a bevel pinion loose on transmission shaft 20 and engaging bevel gear 19: 34, a bevel pinion loose on transmission shaft 20 aud engaging bevel gear 32: 35, a bevel pinion loose on transmission shaft 20 and engaging bevel gear 19 at a point diametrically opposite the engagement of that bevel gear with pinion 33, the hubs of pinions 33, 34 and 35 being provided with clutclrtecth: 36, a clutch splined. upon transmission shaft 20 and having clutch teeth adapted to engage with the clutchteeth of pinion 35: 37, a clutch splined upon the transmission shaft between pinions'33 and 34 and having teeth adapted to engage with the clutch-teeth of either selected one of those two pinions: 38, a lever mounted on casing 14' and adapted to serve in shifting clutch 36 into and out of engagement:

39, a reversing rod connected with lever 38 and leading forward therefrom and adapted for connection with actuating mechanism within reach of thedriver of the fire engine: 40, a lever mounted on casing 14 and con nected with clutch 37 to serve in shifting that clutch into and out of engagement with pinions 33' and 34: 41, a speed-changing rod connected with lever 4.0 and leading forward and adapted to be connected with actuated mechanism within reach of the driver of the fire engine: and 42, the housing for the upper end of the inclined transmission shaft, this housing being carried by bracket 10 and being formed-as a divided casing to house the worm and worm-gear etc.

It is to be understood that, as before stated, the fire-engine will be provided with the usual adjuncts and accessories belonging to steam fire-engines of the type in question and it is also to be understood that gas engine 11 is to be provided with the necessary accessories usual in connection with gas engines employed in the driving of automoules.

Assume that the parts illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7 are in the position indicated i1. those figures of the drawings, and assume that the gas engine is in motion and the fire-engine standing. The gas engine will, through the medium of the worm, upon' its crankshaft,

revolve the worm-wheel idly upon the 'trans-, mission shaft, the worm-wheelv turning in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. Under these conditions the transmission shaft and all of the parts beyond it will be stationary and idle. If, now, clutch-rod 27 be actuated the clutch-shoes willengage and cause the worm-gear to be clutched to the transmission shaft whichbecomes driven through the medium of .pawls 30. The

transmission shaft will now be in motion but no motion will be transmitted to shaft 16 or countershaft 7. for the reason that clutches 37 and 36 are in disengaged position. If rod 41 be now actuated to throw 'clutch 37 into engagement with pinion 33 motion will be transmitted to shaft 16 and thence, throughthe differential gear to the countershaft and thence by the sprocketwheels and chains, to the rear wheels of the fire-engine, thus impelling thefire-engine in the .forward direction. The fire-engine will now be moving forward at its lowest rate of speed consistent with the speed of the gas engine. The fire engine, in thus moving forward, may have its two rear wheels turning at diflerent velocities, as in traveling in curves, a result rendered possible by the obvious action of the differential gear. If. itbe desired to arrest the transmission of power from thegas engine to the traction wheels it may be done by releasing clutch 37, from pinion 33'.

While the fire engine is moving forward at the low rate of speed, incident to the, engagem'ent of clutch- 37 with'pinion 33, that clutch may be shifted from, pinion 33 to the clutch in the worm-gear or by releasing.

pinion 34 thus, in an obvious manner, cai1sing the fire engine -to advance at a very much increased rate'ofvspeed'. Clutch 37 therefore serves in controlling the high and low gear forward speed of the fire engine, and-itwill of course be understood that this clutch may be thrown to either low gear or the high gear position either before or after the clutch in the worm-gear has been thrown into action.

If while clutch 37 is disengaged fromelther of its pinions, and While the clutchin' the worm-gear is either'engaged or disengaged, clutch 36 be thrown into engagement with pinion 35, the rotation oftransmission shaft 20 will, in an obvious manner trans-" mit to the traction wheels. a low speed tation in'backward direction.

If theifire engine should, in advancing, seek 'to move forward at a, speed in excess of roof that due to the power transmitted to it from .the gas engine, as, for instance, in coasting, or stoppage of engine, pawls 30 will, in an obv1 ous manner, ermit the transmission shaft to turn at hi er rate of speed than the worm-gear. Loo 'n'gat Fig. 1 it is to be observed thatthe sprocket chain 9 has a very considerable horizontal stretch, in other words, that there is a very considerable distance between the centers of countershaft 7 and the traction wheels. The rising and falling 'motion of the general structure relative to the, rear axle upon which the rear portion ofthe general strucboiler spring-supported by the-rear portions of the frame-girders, and traction-wheels on said rear axle,- of a gas-enginesecured to the rear of the boiler above the level of the frame-girders and having its crank-shaft projecting beyond'the plane of one side of the boi1er,"a countershaft journaled in bearings at the frontof theboiler and extending endwise, beyond the .two sides of the boiler, sprocket-wheels fast with the tractionwheels,- sprocket-wheels fast on the ends of the countershaft, sprocket-chains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the c'ountershaft and traction-wheels, transmission mechanism connecting said crankshaft with said 'countersh'aft, a clutch interposed'in said transmission mechanism ,to serve in connecting said crank-shaft toan'd disconnecting .it-

from said countershaft, speed-changing mechanism interposed in the transm ssion system between'the clutch and the counter shaft, and a differential gear interposed between the speed changing mechanism and the countershaft, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a'steam fire-engine having a. vertical 'boiler and framegirders'straddlin and secured to the boiler, and a rear axle disposed at the rear of the boiler spring-supported by the'rear portions of the frame-girders, and traction-wheels on said rear axle, of a gas-engine secufed to I the rear of the boiler above the level" ofthe frame-girders and having its crank-shaft projectmgbeyoiid't-he plane of-one side of 4 the boiler, acountershaft journaled in bearings at the froiitj of:the boiler below the level of the frame-girders and extending endwise beyond the two sides of the boiler, sprocketwheels fast with the traction-wheels,

sprocket wheels'fast on the ends of the countel-shaft, sprocket-chains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the countershaft and traction wheels, transmission -mechanism connecting said clankshaft' -w1th :said

.countershaft,"a clutch interposed in said transmission mechanism to serve in connectof the frame-girders, and traction-wheels I wheels on said rear-axle, of a gas-engine secured to the rear of the boiler above the level of-the frame-girders and having its crankshaft projecting beyond the plane of one side of the boiler, a countershaft journaled in bearings at the front of the boiler and extending endwise beyond the two sides of the boiler, sprocket-wheels fast with the tractionwheels, sprocket-wheels fast on the-ends of the countershaft, sprocket-chains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the countershaft and traction-wheels, a worm on the projecting portion of said crankshaft, a transmission shaft disposed alongside the boiler, a wormgear loose on the rear end. of the transmission shaft and engaged by said worm, a friction clutch cooperating with said transmis sion shaft and worm-gear, speed-changing mechanism connecting the forward end of the transmission-shaft with the countersh'aft,'and a differential gear interposed between the speed-changing mechanism and the countersh'aft, substantially as set forth. 4. The combination, with a steam fire-engine havingavertical boiler and framegirders straddling and secured to the boiler, and a rear axle disposed at the rear of the boiler spring-supported by the rear-portionof the frame-girders, and traction-wheels onsaid rear axle, of a gas-enginesecured to the rear of the boiler above the level of the frame girders and having its crank shaft projecting beyond the plane of one side of the boiler, a countersha'ft journaled in bearings at the front oftheboiler and below said framegirders and extending endwise beyond the two sides of the boiler, sprocketfast with the traction wheels,

sprocket-wheels fast on the ends of the countershaft, sprocketchains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the countershaft and traction-wheels, 'a worm on the projecting portion of said crankshaft, a diagonally disposed transmission shaft disposed alongside the boiler,

a worm-gear loose on the rear end of thetransmission shaft and engaged by said worm, a friction clutch cooperating with said transmission shaft and worm-gear, speed e changing mechanism connecting the forward end of the transmission-shaft with the countershaft, and a difierential gear interposed between the speed-changing mechanism and the countershaft, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a steam fire-engine having a vertical boiler and framegirders straddling and secured to the boiler, and a rear. axle disposed at the rear of the boiler spring-supported by the rear portions of the frame-girders, and traction-wheels on said rearaxle, of a gas-engine secured to the rear of the boiler above. the level of the frame-girders and having its crankshaft projecting beyond the plane of one side of the boiler, a countershaft journaled in bearings at the front of the boiler and extending endwise beyond the two sides of the boiler, sprocket wheels fast with the tractionwheels, sprocket-wheels fast on the ends of the countershaft, sprocket-chains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the countershaft and traction-wheels, a- WQIIH on the projecting portion of said crankshaft, a transmissionshaft extending alongside the boiler, a recessed worm-gear loose on the transmissionshaft and engaging said worm, inale friction clutch elements carried by the transmission shaft and engaging within the recess of the worm-gear and adapted to serve in connecting the transmission shaft to and disconnecting it from the worm-gear, a jackshaft mounted near and parallel with the \countershaft, diversely sized bevel gears fast on said jack-shaft, a pair of bevel pinions loose on the transmission-shaft and engaging said bevel gears at one side of the axis of the jack-shaft, a bevel pinion loose on said transmission-shaft at the opposite side-of the axis of the j ack-shaft and engaging the larger of said bevel gears, clutches for connecting either of the bevel inions with the transmission-shaft, and a differential gear connecting the jack-shaft with the countershaft, substantially as set fortln 6. The combination, with a steam fire-engine having a vertical boiler and framegirders straddling and secured to the boiler, and a rearaxle disposed at the rear of the boiler spring-supported by the rear portions of the frame-girders, and traction-wheels on said rear axle, of-a gas-engine secured to the rear of the boiler above the level of the frame-girders and having its crank-shaft projecting beyond the plane of one side of the boiler, a countershaft journaled in bearings at the front of the boiler below the frame-girders and extending endwise beyond the two sides of the boiler, sprocketwheels fast with thetraction-wheels, sprocket-wheels fast on the ends of the countershaft, sprocket chains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the 'counters'haft and traction-wheels, a jack-shaft mounted near the countershaft, .a diagonally disposed transmission-shaft extending alongside the boiler and intersecting the axial line of the jack-shaft, diversely sized bevel gears on engaging the larger of said bevel gears,

the jack-shaft, a Worm-gear loose on the rear clutches to serve in connecting either of said end of the transmission shaft and engaging pinions with the transmission-shaft, and a the worm, a friction-clutch serving to condiiferential gear connecting the jaclvshaft a nect the transmissionshaft with and diswith said countershaft, substantially as set 15 connect it from the Worm-gear, bevel pinforth.

ions loose on the forward portion of the HENRY M. GABE'L. transmission shaft and severally engaging Witnesses: the bevel-gears on the jack-shaft, a bevel J. W; FISHER,

10 pinion loose on the transmission-shaft and JOHN W. COWE L.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

